Too tired, too busy, too time-crunched? For most of us, it is far easier to find reasons not to exercise than to embark on a fitness programme - but at what cost to our health?

According to the nutritionist Patrick Holford, staying strong, fit and supple is the surest way to maintain equilibrium between body and mind. "We're not talking about sweating bucketloads by pounding the treadmill every day and going for the burn," he says.

"The thinking behind workouts has progressed since the 1980s and 1990s to the current belief that it should be a harmonious approach